Harness-saddletree



ROBERTSPENCER, OF SOUTHPORT, CONNECTICUT.

HAnNEss-SADDLETREE. i

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,573, dated `August 22, 1854. i

i To @Zlio/1.0m t may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT SPENCER, of Southport, in the county ofFairfeld and State of Connecticut, havetinvented a new and Improved Harness Saddletree; and I do hereby declare that the `following is a full and eXact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l, beiiig a to view of a thin iron skeleton plate, which orms one `part of my improved harness-saddletree; Fig. 2, a top view of the cantle, also made of iron cast in a separate piece; Fig. 3, a top view of the whole saddletree composed of the aforesaid cast-iron skeleton plate and cantle combined together and with two pieces of leather embracing the skeleton plate; Fig. 4, a section thereof in the line m m of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section of the same in line y y of Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a side view of atportion of a finished saddle made with my improved saddletree; Fig. 7, a top view of a harness-saddletree made in the ordinary manner; Fig. 8, a sectionthereof in the line .fr of Fig. 7: Fig. 9, a section of the same in theline y fi/,of Fig. 7.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the igures. i

Harness saddletrees are usually made as represented in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, viz:-of a piece (or pieces glued together)` of wood carved into the desired shape to form the skeleton H, and cantle I, and strengthened by metallic strips M, N, P, properly fitted thereto and secured by rivets s. There are several objections to these saddletrees; one of which is, that they require to `be made so thick, to produce `the necessary strength, that saddles of light and elegant form can not be "made with them. This is especially the case with the cantle I, which is made thick and erect, as indicated in Fig. 9. Another objection to wooden saddletreesl is, that they soon become more or less decayed by the perspiration and heat of the horses, so that they give way,'or, at least, allow the nails and rivets which unite other `parts to them, to pull out. Another objection is, a large demand can not be quickly supplied, because their manufact-ure `is lim ited to the number which persons, skilled in the art of carving them, can make.

The nature of my invention consists in the production of a new and improved harness saddletree by the combination of pieces of iron and leather substantially as hereinafter set forth. i

The skeleton plate A, is made of thin malleable cast-iron, of therequiredshape. It is provided with the usual aperture a, in the central portion; and with a suflicient number of holes and apertures, as seen in Fig. l, `for uniting with each other the respective parts of the saddletree; `and also for attaching to the finished tree, the refspective parts of the saddle. Thus b, @are i terret holes, withnotches` c, c, on their opposite sides for the reception of nails or rivets to attach the nuts, into which the shanks of the terrets are screwed; 6l', is an aperture through which a bolt t, (Fig. 6,) passes, and secures the water-hook S, to t-he pominel; f, y", zg,- g, and lz., h', are holes for the insertion of rivets, indicated by the same letters in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, to secure the parts of the saddletree together; e1, e, and i, z', oblong apertures for receiving nails e, and z', (Fig. 6,) to secure the jockeys and skirts to the saddletree. iron, sheet-iron swayed into the proper shape, might be used. The cantle B,.is also made of iron cast in a separate piece of the proper shape, with holes 7c, 7c, `through which the rivets 71 la., (Figs. 3, 4, and 5,) pass and secure it to the other parts of the saddletree. taching a piece of leather n, (Fig. 5,) behind it; and two other holes m, m, into which the crupper loop G, is riveted. i

Two pieces of strong, thick leather C, D, of suitable size and shape to cover the skele- It also has holes Z, Z, for at-` Instead of castton plate A, are placed, one beneath and the 1 i scribed, and secure it upon the upper piece of leather C, as represented in Figs. 3, 4, `and 5.

by stitching to the leather portion,.or by rivets, or nails,so that any manner or style of mounting may be employed. Besides, it

can be more readily shaped into the desired form, by trimming the leather portion. And itvparticularly recommends itselrl on account of vthe great `thinness 4of the material used, especially in the cantle B,

which may also therebyv recede backward more than in the ordinary wooden saddletree, as may readily be seen by comparing Figs. 5, and 9, in the drawings. Hence, in the finished saddle, the form will appear much more light and elegant, as exemplied in Fig. 6. l

In Fig. 3, b, b, on the upper leather portion C, of the tree, indicate the outlines of the holes b, Z9, in the skeleton plate A, below the same; and serve as guides in making the terret holes, previous to putting the parts of the saddle together.

In Fig. 6, the outer circle on the jockey,

indicates the usual size of the base, and the inner circle the Size of the shank, of the terret, which is not represented.

I do not claim constructing the frame and cantle of a harness saddletree, in separate pieces, nor the insertion of. leather between them; but what I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as a new article of manufacture, is-

My improved harness saddletree, con structed substantially as herein described of combined iron and leatther; (or the equivalent of leather;) the iron serving the purpose of a skeleton and giving it the proper rigidity, while by trimming the leather portions of the tree, the exact conformation is attained.

The above specification of my improved harness saddletree signed and witnessed this 22nd day of June 1854.

ROB. SPENCER. Witnesses:

Z. C. RoBBINs, J. S. BROWN'. 

